1. Field of the invention
The systems and devices relate to telecommunications, computers and communication terminal devices and central digital switches. In particular, it relates to local PBX and computer systems and to those related terminals associated with both PBX systems and to communication service provider services including, but not limited to call forwarding, call waiting, caller identification, voice box, short message service, and conferencing services. The field of art additionally relates to communication terminals such as digital phones, PDA's, two-way pagers, computers, and Network Service Provider Services and methods.
2. Prior Art
There have been many new remote services added to telecommunication systems in the last fifteen years; the more notable automated services being caller ID (CID), call waiting, call waiting caller ID, call forwarding, remote access call forwarding, three-way calling, last call redial, call blocking, and voice box capability. In addition, multiple-line phones (e.g. two-line, four-line, etc.) are available to replace the more sophisticated LPS systems (as defined below) for small businesses, as well as the home. In the last ten years, LPS have become a commodity because of the digital computer revolution, but the LPS still require multiple-line installation at the user's facilities.
Telecommunication switch technology has advanced so that “soft switches” are digital control points where “switch” call features can be added or subtracted by the communication service provider using software programs. However, the multiple lines associated with the legacy PBX still require multiple lines to be pulled to the customer location (either separate lines or a multiple-line trunk, such as a T1 line) where an LPS must be installed to distribute the lines to various local terminals.
In the case of mobile phones, such services as roaming, and the ability to have several numbers associated with the same mobile phone, are also available with limited success. One approach taken by the wireless industry is to give a user several phone numbers that can ring on the same phone. The Nokia 3360 model device, for example, has this capability for three lines. Theoretically, the Nokia 3360 model can answer three phone numbers associated with the phones Electronic Serial Number (ESN) if the service provider assigns the customer three numbers. However, the customer must set the phone to one of the three numbers they want to use, which defeats the whole purpose of having three active lines. Also, actual experience with this approach has not been successful because the numbers are tied to the terminal ESN and cloning detection software programs have made the phones inoperable in many cases. Thus, in the past, the ability to have several numbers ring one or several phones and let the customer know which phone number has been called, was only available with the LPS system designs (unless the customer lets the lines roll over at the CSP and, even this feature would not be available).
With the growing mobile society, the need for multiple phone numbers ringing at several customer terminals at different physical locations simultaneously so that the customer knows which terminal was called, is a growing need. In accordance with the present invention, a single RPS computer could provide LPS services to 10,000 multiple-line customers rather than 10,000 customers each being required to buy their own LPS system.
FIG. 1 depicts the element architecture for prior art LPS systems where multiple-line incoming or outgoing connections are directed from an LPS computer located at or near the customer's various phones or terminal units. In FIG. 1, a customer with n phones 130a to 130n can be connected by the customer's LPS computer 115 via lines 120n to 120n to calls by n callers 101a to 101n via lines 102a to 102n connected to the party's respective CSP 105. The customers LPS system 115 is connected to the customer CSP (also at 105) via lines 110 when calls are established. The newer LPS systems allow customers to direct their terminals to other terminals in the LPS when they are at other locations without notifying the LPS master operator. Also, several phone services have been developed to aid the mobile worker such as “Emma the Perfect Secretary” offered by Preferred Voice Inc. at www.preferredvoice.com to overcome the many limitations of an LPS. “Emma the Perfect Secretary”, for example, will let the LPS forward incoming calls to the last number provided by an LPS terminal user. However, this service will not automatically tell the user who is calling or tell them which line is being called.
Also, the prior art communication terminals have made many advances in the last five years and most all have displays to show the user who is calling and other stored information. However, these terminals have not been modified to detect and display inbound PBX information about the line being called, for example. They also have not been modified to send outgoing PBX information to the CSP such as telling a CSP which line to use when making an outgoing call.
Problems To Be Solved: One problem to be solved is that of allowing a person to have several lines allocated to service several business or personal needs and letting the owner direct the incoming traffic to the terminal the owner specifies in a manner that lets the owner know which of the various lines is being called (as well as the calling party) prior to answering the terminal. A related problem is that of allowing a user to have a single terminal that the user can direct to handle numerous lines (e.g. their cell phone) in a manner that allows the user to know which line is being called and whom is calling each line and vice versa (calling out on one of several possible line numbers from a single line terminal).
Another related problem is having a system that allows a CSP to give out many numbers to a family or business without supporting the additional numbers with additional data delivery capability. A related problem to solve is that of providing a simple method for individuals to originate conference calls to many participants without using an expensive conference scheduling service with much higher long distance rates than the individual normally pays. Yet another related problem is allowing a company or family to have an intercommunication system that works like an LPS intercom even though the company or family does not have an LPS. Another problem to be solved is to eliminate the “double” service provider cost the customer is currently paying for the communication services required to access the Internet using ISP portals such as AOL or MSN. Most all of the services offered by the various portals such as AOL, MSN, Yahoo, Amazon, e-Bay, and many others, have become ubiquitous and can be offered directly by the customer's CSP to eliminate the double expenses currently being charged for terminal connections. A related problem associated with the communication terminals (phones, PDA, computers, two pagers, etc.) connecting a customer to the CSP networks, are that these devices need to be advanced to give them the capability to send and receive multiple “on-hook” commands and messages similar to those used with wireless terminals. Once this capability exists, the advanced services described herein can be provided by the CSP at little additional cost. In other words CSP terminals of all types need to be advanced to easily provide more CSP services that utilize the 100-fold digital computer advances incorporated into the CSP computer systems over the last ten years and which are now becoming available worldwide.
Summary of Invention: A remote PBX and computer system for providing selectable communication and computer services to multiple customers, the selectable communication and computer services provided are similar to communication and computer services provided by a local PBX and computer systems for a single customer. The system is comprised of a plurality of terminal units for each customer and each customer terminal unit is capable of connecting to the remote PBX and computer system using at least one of the customer communication service providers.
The system has a remote PBX server unit adapted to provide or cause to be provided for each customer, the communication and computer services provided by legacy PBX system, legacy remote soft switch services and client server computer systems. The remote portion of the system has a customer interface unit that allows each customer to select the communication and computer services to be provided after the customer provides valid security and payment information. The remote portion has a customer processor unit that is adapted to control the communication for each customer terminal unit and is adapted to provide or cause to be provided the communication and computer services selected by each customer each time the service is requested. The remote system has a billing program for each of the customers. The system uses two communication means for interfacing with the remote PBX server unit for each customer and for permitting communication between each customer and the customer interface unit so each customer can select the desired communication or computer services and for permitting communication between each customer terminal unit and the customer processing unit so the customer terminal unit provides to the customer the same communication and computer information for each selected communication or computer service that would be provided by a local PBX and computer system using a similar customer terminal unit when providing the same service to a single customer.
One communication means uses an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system located at the remote PBX server unit so existing customer terminals can be used with the system and the other communication means uses Advanced Communication Terminals (ACT) that are existing mobile phones, PDA's and computers adapted to automatically communicate PBX and computer service signals between the customer and the remote system to provide faster and more efficient service.
In one preferred embodiment, the remote-shared system is operated as part of the customer's communication service provider system and the system allows different and separate communication or computer services to be selected by separate customers but the services are provided or caused to be provided by the same remote system.
In another embodiment, the remote system also provides the individual communication soft switch services such as Caller ID, Call Waiting and Call Forwarding for each of the customer lines controlled by each customer processing unit.
In another embodiment, the remote system also provides the customer all their required Internet services, along with their PBX and client server computer services. In yet another embodiment, the remote portion of the shared system also provide the customer all their required personal computer services from the remote location such as described in the “Split Personal Computer System” discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,243,743.
In a preferred embodiment, the remote PBX service allows multiple-customer terminal numbers to be assigned to a single- or multiple-customer terminal at various physical locations and automatically manages the customer terminals for the customer in a manner that allows the customer to know which line has been called prior to answering the terminal. In this embodiment, the customer can decide to answer the called line at another location based on the Caller ID or other considerations, such as letting the phone be answered by those at the location where the line is connected.
The customer can remotely modify where the line numbers are directed to ring and appear in a manner similar to that now used to accomplish call forwarding. Existing phones or other terminal units used with the RPS require only a display and a simple Called Terminal ID (CTID) detection and transmission program to be implemented to convert the unit into an Advanced Communication Terminal (ACT) device. Once the terminals are modified to detect and display the CTID, the existing call forwarding service can be expanded to provide this additional service without having to provide a full RPS service. Billing can be done on a per-use or flat monthly service charge depending on the type of phone service provided by the RPS. In addition the RPS will allow various lines to be selected by the customer for making outgoing calls so that recipients having CID will detect the proper phone number as established by the customer in their various businesses or assigned to a family member.
By way of example, a customer that has the RPS service can dial a number such as *82 (or go to the RPS service provider's website) that then allows the customer to input a phone number from a list of approved predetermined numbers belonging to the customer, such as the customer's office, home and/or mobile numbers, to ring on the terminal being used to dial *82 (or the terminal specified at the RPS service provider's website) and the RPS will send the specified CTID when the number is called to the customer terminal specified. The directed CTID will be displayed on the terminal specified by the customer, along with the caller ID, and will also ring at the terminal with the CTID (ringing at both locations is optional). To remove the CTID service from ringing on any selected terminal, the can user dial, for example, *92 (or go to a website of the RPS service provider) to remove or change where the CTID is supposed to be directed. In this manner, persons can always know who is calling home or the office and not have to keep checking voice mail boxes for important messages, yet still let unimportant messages go into the person's regular mailbox or RPS mailbox. The system also allows customers having multiple lines at the remote PBX to select which line outgoing calls are made so the called party gets a CID selected by the customer rather than the CID of the terminal the customer is using. Also, the RPS service allows a much more flexible conferencing system to be offered the consumer now only available from expensive conference call services. Moreover, the system allows a company to sell multiple-terminal numbers to families or businesses without having to run additional lines to the customer facilities. The RPS system also allows a single large bandwidth line (e.g. DSL) to service multiple lines in parallel for homes similar to the way current service is provided to businesses when the ACT devices that detect special CTID numbers sent by the RPS are used. The RPS allows conference calls to be originated by the customer using regular phones with an IVR at the RPS. Such conference calls can be set up much faster by using an ACT device compatible with the RPS. The RPS services described will greatly enhance the customer service provider revenue and only increase the communication operating system cost a small amount because of the economy of scale afforded by a single server system sharing PBX service with thousand of customers. This replaces the cost of thousands of customers each buying their own local PBX and computer system.
For example, if a service provider such as Sprint or AT&T wireless service offered the RPS service and only added a single number to each of their customers for half the price of the original number without actually providing the line or link, they could generate an additional $400 million dollars each month with virtually no additional cost.